Living Light

Stirring The Deep


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The Land of Milk and Honey

The Final Four Leading to

The Land of Milk and Honey

 

One of the first lucid messages I heard from the Spirit of Truth was: life is a game. At the time, I had no idea of the depth of meaning of that statement, but even with a simplistic understanding it was a powerful moment, for everything in my life began to be reframed by this construct.

The game-like nature to this reality doesn’t take the seriousness out of it, but it does put everything in a more accurate perspective. Through my years of seeking for absolute truth and divine love, I came to learn that this life is a projection of our soul and its self-determined consciousness, which science has shown to be the case. It’s a simulation, a training ground for our developing soul. It’s an altered state of consciousness (like a dream-state), thus it isn’t real but a fabricated state in order for the soul to learn and grow, which I’ve shared throughout my blog.

The object of the game is to learn from this dream-like state, which is the shadow of death, in order to abide in eternal life. Thus, to wake up or resurrect out of the death state and into life (as revealed in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ). It’s to learn from the shadow state of the self and its life, and then end the potentials of death we experienced in all its many manifestations. In other words, it’s designed to manifest a sublime oneness with the Spirit of God, thus his divine consciousness, which is life.

The Final Four

This past week, I entered a new depth of clarity in my soul journey. The words may not be new as to what I experienced, but the depth was. Everything that I had judged in my life as “wrong” was exactly what was needed, thus it was right. My mistakes and errors came out  of divine love because they all led me to divine love. Thus my mistakes were necessary and perfect. Everything brought me to the final four soul qualities that usher in life: divine gratitude, divine desire, divine faith, and divine trust. When each is shaped in the soul by the Spirit of Truth, they produce a magnetic pull into the divine love energy of our Creator. Because we are in a dream state, it isn’t that we possess these qualities, but through the instruction of the Spirit of Truth our intention in each quality is pure, lucid and genuine. All we can have is intention in this dream-state, for without being awake in oneness we can do nothing, we’re asleep. John 15:5

In seeing this perfection in everything (every mistake and error), the soul perceives the sovereignty of God that was working in its life all along. Among the seeming randomness and chaos of life, he was creating the most beautiful harmony. If the soul progresses far enough down the path of enlightenment, this awareness is gained. As the soul draws near to the light; it perceives things as they truly are. In this light, all mistakes and errors are perfection creating a perfection beyond perfection. Perfection beyond perfection is an eternal state of growing and expanding while in the harmony of truth and divine love (symbolized as “the land of milk and honey”). Without the soul journey of mistakes, divine love wouldn’t exist in the soul. The mistakes create and manifest the fullness of divine love in all its beauty. However, to remain in this suffering state isn’t our eternal state, for it’s of the unreal simulated state. Thus, it ends.

Peace Surpassing Understanding

This awareness of the workings of perfection among imperfection creates a peace that surpasses all understanding. Phil 4:6-7 Peace doesn’t exist in imperfection. Imperfection causes fear, pain, suffering, and heartache and all the soul states that steal peace. Yet, in this depth of trust in this perfection, a peace comes to reside in the soul in spite of the imperfections. It’s a peace in the face of whatever happens; because the soul knows whatever is happening is what is suppose to occur for the glorious manifestation of oneness. It doesn’t mean the soul is in truth, but everything that it does and all that happens to it is to craft the soul into the truth of divine love.

This understanding shepherds in the transition of the soul’s trust becoming a child-like trust. It flips the soul’s reality from darkness to light by switching on the light (truth) within the soul’s perception. What was once judged by the soul as wrong or bad in the darkness, from light’s perspective the soul perceives as purposeful and serving the highest good. This new perspective frees the soul from the prison bars of inferiority, fear, shame and guilt that its ill judgments manifested. Instead of these four core destroyers, divine gratitude, desire, faith and trust fill this space in the soul, which begins to transform the soul into life.

Through this heightened awareness, the soul becomes aware of the following four constructs: 1. It becomes divinely grateful for every error and mistake. In the sovereignty of God, the errors were used to unite the soul to him in a bond of divine love. 2. The imperfections created a consuming divine desire for his divine consciousness and nothing of the self-determined consciousness. 3. Through the lessons learned, the soul received a divine faith built and established by the Spirit of Truth. A faith vast and dense enough for the soul to solely stand upon and let go of all counter to it. 4. The imperfections propelled a divine trust, by which the soul can release all control (the strength of the self-will) and be governed by the divine will. These four qualities of soul are part of the soul’s condition prior to transitioning into life. They create the necessary energetic field that raises the soul’s vibration to embrace the divine energy of the Creator.

Severing the Chord

What keeps this self-determination active is the self-will’s generation of control. The opposite of this energetic force is divine trust. You feel the strength of the self-will when things don’t go your way, or when they don’t go as you expect. You feel it when they do. You feel it when you try to control others or yourself. You feel it when you feel controlled by another, for when you try to control then you are controlled. As within so is without. When the soul intentionally trusts, it forfeits the self-will (thus control) and embraces the divine will. This energetic exchange is the precursor to oneness.

Divine trust is powerful and significant. It’s abiding in the present moment in the spontaneous flow of life. The soul isn’t trying to govern the twists and turns, but instead flows through the present moments with a child-like trust. This trust is the highest honor the soul can give the Creator from within in a finite and limited soul state. Thus why it is so energetically powerful, and why it’s the predecessor to oneness. Divine trust (containing divine honor) enables the energetic divine love exchange between the soul and the Creator, thus establishing a manifested oneness.

As the soul releases all control by the counsel of the Spirit of Truth (the soul is blinded by its self-will thus doesn’t even recognize where or how it’s controlling until the Spirit reveals it), then the soul invites in the Spirit of God to sever the root of the self-determined consciousness and establish the divine consciousness as its new operating system.

Land of Milk and Honey

Through the wilderness of the self-determined consciousness, the soul grows by thorns and biers (mistakes and errors, thus pain and suffering). When the soul unites in a sublime oneness with the Spirit of God (no longer in a dream-like state), the soul still continues to expand or else it couldn’t contain the infinite Spirit of God. In oneness, it grows by comforts and nourishment of the Spirit (milk) and by what the Spirit manifests through the soul (honey).

The former state of growing by hardships was necessary to form oneness, but when it has served it purposes it ends. And, when this state ends, so does death. Game over. We wake up. Arise and Shine.

 

So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
1 Corinthians 15:54

 

Arise, shine;
For your light has come!
And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.
Isaiah 60:1


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Sensory Perceptions Carnal to Spiritual

Sensory Perceptions:

Carnal to Spiritual

space

As we become lights in this world, a reflection of the divine spirit of the heavenly Father, our sensory perceptions change as part of our transformation. They become transmitters of His light into the world. Where we once were governed by our senses from an “outward > in” point of view, we are now governed by an “inward > out” point of view.

Our senses: seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching, work together to formulate our understanding and perspectives. A carnal mind takes in sensations from the world whose interpretation and understanding are derived from the mass consciousness (cumulative thought of mankind). These sensory perceptions inform us of the physical world. By what we see, hear, smell, taste and touch, we determine want we want and desire as translated by the mass consciousness. Thus, they become the drivers to all kinds of desires directed and governed by the wisdom, understanding, and compulsions of the mass consciousness. For example, you see a picture of a juicy hamburger and the mass consciousness translates that as something to be desired (through its communication channels, media, advertising, etc), thus you desire it.

A spirit mind uses these sensory perceptions in a different way. With the spirit mind, God is in control and governing our thoughts and desires (pure consciousness and NOT mass consciousness), including our sensory receptacles. He translates our sensory perceptions from WITHIN by His divine spirit (pure consciousness). He does this by transforming our sensory modalities from mass consciousness derivatives to pure consciousness outputs. It is no longer what is without that determines our actions, but His sprit that is within. For example, He establishes in us a love for all creation, thus we have cruelty free diets. The images/messages of the hamburger have no impact on our desires, only His understanding, wisdom and love.

Acting by this renewed perception creates a radically different reality as it becomes full of actions grounded in God’s wisdom and love. Christ creates our reality, which is now His, by these renewed sensory communicators. It’s through these senses the character of Christ is pushed out from within us into the world around us. Thus, we are creators (givers) of light and life, and no longer consumers of darkness. He is creating our reality from within out, thus crafting our entire reality into His home, His living temple.

When our sensory perceptions come from “within > out”, they are governed by His spirit, thus our perceptions are formulated in true understanding and wisdom. This heightened and purified understanding travelling through our senses infuses our thoughts, words and behaviors with His nature/light. Understanding, truth, and love implode our senses, thus our lives and the lives of others.

There is a lot here and I’ll be doing videos on them later this week … but here is a brief outline of each with an example.

5 Spiritual Senses

  1. Eyes of Understanding: All that we see is filtered by His truth, understanding and perfect love (fire of God). Thus we act by faith, and not by sight. Ex: You see others in a framework of perfect love, as God sees them, and in that new vision you are able to give them perfect love.
  2. Ears of Wisdom: Our ears are attuned to voice of God within us. Through the journey of seeking Him, we’ve learned to hear and follow His voice. As we are fully united to Him, His voice becomes our inner voice.  Thus the wisdom for a given situation comes from within. By this wisdom, we live as a spirit being who acts in harmony with His law of love. As we follow that inner voice, His purposes and will are manifested in the world. Ex: The inner voice gives you counsel on how to respond to a certain situation. You follow and peace is created where peace once wasn’t. This hearing creates an incredible reality reflecting His wisdom.
  3. Smell of discernment:  This sense relays the true nature of something or someone. It picks up the fragrance of life versus the stench of death. It’s like the sense of when something “smells fishy” (suspicious). It gives us an accurate knowing of someone or something, as God desires us to know, that enables us to respond in line with God’s character. For example, your ability to discern between true prophets and false ones, or accurate teachings and deceptions.
  4. Taste of desire: Our taste is what directs our desires. What we have a taste for or not is what we desire or don’t. As our desires are now His, our tastes for things, activities, people, ways, will be His. Ex: We no longer have a taste (desire) for violent movies, or we no longer have a taste for meat.
  5. Touch of healing: Our touch directs how we interact in our physical lives with the world around us. When He governs our touch, every behavior and act is done out of perfect love, truly a healing touch. Ex: Your actions toward your spouse are out of perfect love and nothing else.

As we are united to the divine through Christ, all our senses are regenerated to reflect the wisdom, character, nature, understanding and love of the heavenly Father. It’s Him, in us, pouring Himself into the world though these modalities, thus we are lights to the world, His light.

These transformed sensory communicators allow the spirit of life to shine outward from us, where before in the carnal mind we gathered to ourselves what we wanted from our senses.

The transformations of our senses enable the shining of our lamps. Among others, there are three ways those with these modalities will shine. They will possess:

  1. Greater wisdom, thus becoming smarter as they are operating by the wisdom of God in their circumstances.
  2. Increasing loving kindness pouring forth from an abundance mindset.
  3. Ability to abide in and create peace and harmony.

These are the fruit bearing trees. There is a lot here to consider, may you see the magnificent power, perfection, beauty and love these transformations create within thus without.


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Being a Delight to God

Being a Delight to God

We desire to be a delight, thus give great joy, to those we love .. how are we a delight to our heavenly Father?

The Creator of all, the heavenly Father, possesses all things, so what do we give Him? Delight. How? By walking according to the wisdom He gives us (not the wisdom of the world), and letting Him establish our steps by that wisdom. Micah 6:8

When we seek, listen and obey our heavenly Father’s wisdom in our lives, it creates a life of joy, peace, happiness, rest, blessing, and love. When we are abiding in this state it greatly delights God. His delight is seeing us in pure delight. Proverbs 16:20, Matthew 6:33 His Spirit manifests the perfect loving Father to us in every way.

My step-daughter moved in at the beginning of the year. Since she has been here, she has been absorbing and walking by the truths we’ve taught her about how to live; all in accordance with true wisdom from above. James 3:13-18 The results of her heeding our words have already started to bear beautiful fruit in her life. The exceedingly great joy for me and my husband is to see her abiding and growing in joy and true happiness that flows from those truths. Could parents desire anything more than for a soul, who is brought under their wings, to be listening and following the wisdom of true life and abiding in the abundant good fruit it produces? For this is to abide in the presence of God.

Numbers 14:8 “If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’

In a similar manner, the heavenly Father experiences delight in us. The wisdom He calls us to seek and abide in creates a life of satisfaction, peace, meaning, and love. Thus, when we follow this wisdom, it not only honors Him as our Father whom we obey, but our obedience shows we trust and love Him. John 15:10, John 14:15, 1 John 5:3 When our lives are a reality of delights of a pure heart, that gives Him great joy. The result is praise He desires, not contrived or forced, and the worship (loving and honoring Him) He desires, in spirit and truth.

God desires us to be in the fullness of joy, which we do by following His commandments/wisdom of pure love. Matthew 25:23, John 15:11

Proverbs 11:20 Those who are of a perverse heart are an abomination to the Lord, But the blameless in their ways are His delight.

To manifest this joy in our lives, the heavenly Father allows our situations to correct us when we are straying off the path of righteousness. Walking counter to the truth, which establishes love, creates pain and suffering. The pain and suffering are there to “tell” us to stop doing whatever is causing the pain (this can take deep reflection, seeking, and listening as the lies are many and layered) and seek His wisdom so we can experience peace and joy, thus experience Him in our lives.

Proverbs 3:12 For whom the Lord loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.

Jeremiah 9:24 But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the Lord.

We are to diligently seek the heavenly Father’s wisdom, which is the understanding of how to love Him, ourselves and others. Proverbs 3:15-16, 4:6, 16:16  This wisdom to be the guide to all our thoughts. 2 Corinthians 10:5 It entails thinking and acting in honor, mercy, justice, trustworthiness, honesty, grace, humility, peace, and loving kindness.

We seek understanding to the nature of these characteristics, but how they play out in each moment, we trust God to direct. We don’t rely on our understanding for the moment because we are not all knowing, but we trust His prompting in the moment that applies His wisdom to our situations. It isn’t about gaining wisdom, then running our lives. It’s about gaining understanding of the spirit of God, wisdom, and letting Him govern our lives by that wisdom.  Jeremiah 10:23, Proverbs 3:5-6

Psalm 147:10-11 He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man. The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, In those who hope in His mercy.

This humbling of ourselves to our heavenly Father’s will is letting Him establish our righteousness and be our righteousness. This is also what it means to “accept Christ into our heart”. It means to let the word of God, Christ, govern our heart (the seat of our desires) in every way. It’s to move out of lies and deceit (mankind’s wisdom governing our heart) and let His truth establish our present reality as He wills. Thus we cultivate a very personal and intimate engagement with our God inside out.

Righteousness, love, and holiness are views of God from three different angles.

In righteousness all actions are done correctly. Love is what walking in righteousness looks like. When you walk in righteousness, you create an environment that is extremely loving to all. Righteousness, which creates love, makes the environment  holy because where true love is that is where God is because He is love.

Seek to be one in whom God delights.


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TODAY – Enter God’s Rest

TODAY – Enter God’s Rest

Hebrews 4:7-8 again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.”  For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.  For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.

Hebrews 4: 11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

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Defeating the Judging Spirit

Defeating the Judging Spirit

Hosea 11:12 Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you.

In the previous video, Judging Spirit of the Self-will, I introduced the judging spirit that is a defining characteristic of our self-will. FUNDAMENTAL to experiencing the love of God, to know and to give, is to have this spirit purged from your life, which is a part of denying/dieing to self and being filled and governed by God’s Spirit of righteous love. In this video, I touch upon how that spirit is defeated.  This is an area, like all, you must be taught by God. Seek to understand the depths of this transformation from Him, for He is the One who makes you into a new creation.

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Placebo of Religion vs. True Belief

Placebo of Religion vs. True Belief

 

John 3:15-16 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

What does it mean for a soul to believe in Christ Jesus?

If you knew there was a treasure in your backyard that would solve all your problems and give you all you desire, what would your response be?

If someone told you that if you took a pill and it would bring perfect health to your body, but you wouldn’t see the affects until you die, what would your response be?

In the first scenario, you would go digging and seeking, wouldn’t you? In the second, you wouldn’t give it a second thought because what would health matter once you were dead?

The Bible tells us of the first scenario, if we truly believe in Christ (the Word of life, truth) then we will have abundant everlasting life. God will make our paths smooth, defeat our enemies, deliver us, heal us, and give us the mind of Christ. To abide in truth, which is love, is a powerful reality. There are MANY beautiful and powerful promises for those who truly trust in God. What’s our response to those powerful words? Do we see most people diligently seeking to know the truth and to discover the paths of life while forfeiting all else to find that priceless treasure? Matthew 13:45-46 Do we see people living out those promises of rest, peace, and rejoicing in all truth?

Placebo of Religion

Do people truly believe in Christ? Or a religion built around the Bible and an image of God? What do people’s actions reveal? James 2:19, 26 One is the true treasure, the other a placebo. A person’s actions testify to their beliefs. Most believe steadfastly in a religion, which crafts an image around God and what it means to be a godly person, while the treasure hunt for truth is largely neglected. 2 Timothy 4:3 Why the blindness when it comes to what it means to believe in Christ? James 2:19  People cling to religion; not Christ, which is a huge difference, yet this difference seems to go mostly unnoticed.

The path of life is narrow and few find it. Matthew 7:13-14 Communing directly with God and learning to hear His voice and obey leads to the path of life. Seems easy, but in a world of lies, it’s much harder than it appears, this is why few do it. A corrupted self-will governed by lies keep people blind from seeing the truth. It keeps them imprisoned by focusing on the wrong things and not the right ones. In deception, you don’t know you are deceived, that is the whole point. To satisfy the longing in their hearts for God, many people have mistakenly fallen for the placebo; they took the pill of religion. It comes to them as the way to God (and an easy way – Satan knows us well); just follow what someone tells you to do and think, instead of learning of God yourself.  However, we reap what we sow. If we reap religion, empty promises await. If we reap righteousness and the presence of God that is what we experience. Hosea 10:12 What a glorious treasure to really dwell in the heart of God’s love.

The pill of religion is a dead end, literally. It’s the most damaging of situations, because people think it leads to life, but it doesn’t, thus they are worse off than before. When you think you’ve found, you stop seeking and the doors that would’ve led you to truth have been blocked. Further, the closer a religion is to the truth the more compelling and imprisoning. Yet, this falsity of religion goes unnoticed because the “testifying results of the truth” have been removed until you die and go to “heaven”; when only then are you righteous, only then do you have abundant life, and only then are you free from suffering and pain. When the results of the belief are removed, how do you know it’s the right belief? The Apostle Paul spoke of results. He talked of the kingdom of heaven within us and what that meant for our lives, right now.

Paul spoke about growing in righteousness. 1 Peter 1:2, 15 If we weren’t, then he said our beliefs were in vain, thus null and void. 1 Corin 15:2 When someone truly believes something it affects him/her to the core. If people believed in Christ and the paths of life, their lives and this world would be totally transformed because true life would be here. 2 Timothy 2:19 Conversely, religion makes excuses to make nil the proof of spiritual health. Suffering and afflictions are accepted as a way of life, not the death Christ delivers us from. When the “testifying results” are removed people can’t see it for the lie that it is. Thus, everything around them remains cloaked in death. Without the contrast of true life no one is the wiser.

God is in us and we in God if we are being transformed glory unto glory. 2 Corin 3:18 When we experience increasing peace, rest, loving kindness, joy, mercy, wisdom, and gentleness beyond ourselves and from our core, then we are growing in truth, in Christ. Then we believe. Do you see His growing righteous love in your soul that is a true transformation and not a forced self-will of goodness cloaked in hypocrisy? Have you received Christ’s testimony; His life of abundant grace, power, and transformation? John 3:33

People believe money brings about certain freedoms, necessities, and blessings in this life. They sacrifice, strive, effort, work and give much of their life to gain money to provide for themselves and their family. They believe money is what they need to get want they need, and their actions reflect that belief.

Do people believe in God like that? Do people give their lives to know Him in truth and spirit as He is, and desire above all to walk in His ways?  Conversely, most find it easier to trust in other things other than God and very difficult to trust in God. As for God, they’ve boxed Him out of their lives by religion.

True belief in God is stifled in a world of lies. When we are imprisoned in darkness how do we see the light? How do we break free from the web of lies in our minds and know the truth of God in all purity, which we truly hunger for?  You’ve seen that darkness in others; you’ve experienced it for yourself. What hope do we have for this world; if so few find the narrow way?

AMAZING HOPE, thanks to the grace poured out to us in Christ in these days. The ability to truly believe comes by the power of God’s spirit in us … which I’ll address next time, God willing.


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To Be Known by God

To Be Known by God

 

Matthew 7:22-23 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Does God know you? Is there an intimate exchange of truth and spirit between you and God? How do you know about Him, where/whom have you learned about God? How much of what you know have you learned from God Himself, and not another? Listen to your words; is it he/she said/taught or is it God taught me? Do you obey HIS truth, words of life spoken to your spirit? To know Him is to obey Him in love. For when you know Him, you become a part of Him. John 14:23, John 17:3

If you obey in love, then you seek, listen and follow His voice above all others in everything. You move from doing what you think is good to God directing your thoughts/actions/desires. 1 Corin 8:2 When you are led by the spirit of God, you are a son/daughter of God. Romans 8:14 This intimate interaction is to know God and to be known by Him.

1 Corinthians 8:3 But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.

Major Stumbling Block to Being Known by God; Religion

A HUGE roadblock to knowing God in truth and spirit is clinging to a religion, even the religion of Christianity (vs. pure discipleship under Christ). Religion is man-made doctrines, structures, and images defining God and things pertaining to God. Religions create false images of God. So you are interacting with an image and not the true God, thus He doesn’t know you. You can’t learn about God from another, only as He reveals Himself to you. Just as you can not truly know someone until you meet him/her yourself. Religions try to define God to you; who He is, how to worship Him, and what He expects of you. This is being led by mankind’s ways and not the spirit of God. Receiving “understanding” second hand creates false images since you’ve never meet Him, just as with another person. The multitude of denominations reveals the magnitude of mankind’s doctrines and people following the dictates of their own hearts, verses seeking the one true God. Those of God are of one spirit, not divided. 1 Corin 1:10-13 Especially for us once churched people, we have to lay our beliefs before God and seek to know Him as He is, because our understanding of God and His ways have been crafted by others and are FULL of man-made images.

The warning of Christ in Matthew 7 strikes very deeply, no one wants to be one of those spoken of in those verses. Jeremiah 16:10-13, Matthew 7:22-23, Matthew 22:13-14 Most don’t think it’s them. Many who call Lord, Lord, believe they are worshipping and serving the true God. Yet, this passage testifies to the contrary, that they were following a false image. They were serving someone, but not God, so who? Following the lawless one, creates lawlessness.

Example: Images of God

As lies and deception permeate religions, people don’t realize they are worshiping a false image of God …

Image 1

A God who governs by fear and guilt.
Followers “come to Him” out of fear; to avoid eternal torment
He killed Jesus in pouring His wrath on him because of people’s sin
He eternally torments those who don’t worship Him as He says
He fosters a suffering life, “for your good”
Guilt abides in followers to move them to action
He has little power in people’s life, thus hardship and affliction
Life is one of suffering until one dies and goes to heaven
Evil is the victor for eternity; for lives spend eternity in hell
Hypocritical love and a judging spirit abound in followers in response to their beliefs

Image 2

A God who governs by righteous love
Followers “come to Him” out of love, not fear
He gave up His spirit so He could fill many to give them eternal life (1 Corin 2:8, 1 Peter 2:24)
Consequences of actions are for the sake of turning people to paths of life so they are healed and renewed
He uses chastening to keep people from the paths of death
He gives abundant life now to those who walk in truth
He came to redeem people from death, not send them there
His will is sovereign, thus death is destroyed, not victor
Love is in sincerity and truth
Mercy triumphs over judgment

Can you tell who is who? Can you see the different spirits? Can you see that many promote the first image; an image counter (anti) to the true God?

Purging False Images of God

Because of the abundance of false images:

1. Seek the instruction of God’s Spirit to teach and build a solid foundation of truth in your life.

2. Leave religion behind and take a break from the teachings of others so you can learn to become a disciple of Christ, and not others. It’s extremely honoring to God to seek Him with such diligence, to put your trust in Him to teach you for this is His command and desire.

3. In your time with Him each morning, put all church/religious doctrines aside and seek to know God as He is by listening to His Spirit speaking words of life to your spirit and through His Word.

4. Come in the humility that God desires; admitting you could be misled in your beliefs about Him, and seek to learn from Him. Psalm 25:9

5. Ask for all lies to be revealed and purged. Be willing to let go of every doctrine you learned in church/family/fellowships, and submit to His sovereignty and instruction.

6. Let God teach you so you are able to stand on the true Rock, the truth. Know Him as He is by coming come to Him in spirit (no images) and truth (as He is not by false images or doctrines.)

Testimony of His Presence in Your Life

How do you know you are known by God? You experience His presence. God is truth and love. If you are truly following God, your life bears the fruit of His presence and grows brighter and brighter in truth/light/righteousness unto the perfect day. Proverbs 4:18 His presence manifests wisdom, joy, peace, healing, blessing, rest, and the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4 When you come to Him in truth, this is what you receive as you walk with Him in righteousness. It’s a witness to the truth. This fruit bearing reveals His presence in your life; fruit by His doing, not your self-efforts. Galatians 5:22-23 It’s not by self-effort that transformation comes, but by His Spirit taking over you. 1 Corin 6:9-10

Amos 5:21-24

I hate, I despise your feast days,
And I do not savor your sacred assemblies.
22 Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings,
I will not accept them,
Nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings.
23 Take away from Me the noise of your songs,
For I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments.
24 But let justice run down like water,
And righteousness like a mighty stream.

As God returns to redeem this earth, people will see what they were truly worshipping, as all is revealed. In that revelation, many will bear great shame and say Lord, Lord, Ezekiel 36:32, 43:10, Hosea 4:19 We need to put all religion aside and come to God one-on-one to listen and learn from Him as He has commanded, then we will discover the true God of amazing love and mercy. Amos 5:4-6

Amos 4:12 “Therefore thus will I do to you, O Israel; Because I will do this to you, Prepare to meet your God, O Israel!”


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Making Cookies & Worship of Our Work

Making Cookies & Worship of Our Work

Don’t let the picture fool you, this is a VERY IMPORTANT truth to understand.

 

John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

There is a saying around our house when we think we are doing anything to “help God out” that reminds us it’s all Him and nothing of us; we’re just making cookies. Anything “good” or “useful” we do for God is Him working in and through us and not us at all.

As a young girl, I loved helping my mom bake cookies; especially my much needed role as taster <smiles>. In my young mind, I believed I was a much greater help than I actually was. It was ALL my mom’s doing. Yet, my mom graciously allowed me to delight in the fun of baking with her. She gave me little tasks to do like stirring the ingredients together, which she always gave a few extra swirls. Yet to me, I was making some of the best cookies in the world!

She encouraged me in “helping” her because it was a wonderful bonding time for the both of us. She wanted me to “help”, but it wasn’t for my amazing assistance but because she loved me and took pleasure in making them together and seeing my joy in playing a part.

We are like the child who is helping their mom make cookies. We don’t do anything of good on our own; it’s all God. He lets us take part because it’s a delight to Him and us. We are able to do what we do because He is governing, directing and performing all things for us. We can’t throw God off; we won’t mess up His plans; and He works out all perfectly. In every action and word, as His offspring we can trust He is faithful in directing and using us according to His ways, which are not our ways.

Psalm 138:8 The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

Establishing our own Righteousness 

Romans 10:3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.

“Making Cookies” serves to remind us, we are not to be crafting our own righteousness, because we can’t. A twisted truth derived from the religious community is how we serve God. We want to be serving, working and doing for God because deep down it makes us feel like a better person; which is establishing our own righteousness. Instead of wholly relying on the righteous of God to fill and govern our lives, we are relying on ourselves.

Worshipping the Work of Our Hands

Isaiah 2:8 Their land is also full of idols; They worship the work of their own hands, That which their own fingers have made

This mentality leads to worshipping the work of our hands. It’s looking to our ability; as in to provide, protect, heal, redeem, teach, and fix situations; the essence of self-reliance, self-sufficient, being in control and independence. Matthew 7:22-23, Proverbs 14:16

Our Part: Abide

John 15:7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

God is spirit. We are flesh and spirit. To experience God in the flesh, we have to allow our spirits to be united, influenced and governed by Him. When we do, His nature manifests in our lives in the forms of peace, rest, power, joy, blessing, and righteous love.

Our part is to abide in unity with God. In fellowship with God that leads to unity, we are listening, obeying and gaining trust to relinquish all control to God’s ways and work. As our self-will steps aside, He runs our souls and lives. We cease to judge and work and He governs.  If I didn’t bake cookies with my mom, then I wouldn’t have taken part in that bonding time with her or the fruit of our interaction, yummy cookies. God moves through us. But any goodness or good works are of Him, not us. Big difference. Are you getting it?

Rest is Power

Psalm 57:2 I will cry out to God Most High, To God who performs all things for me.

Being attached to the vine and God moving through us as He wills is central to abiding in His rest. Hebrews 4:9-11 At rest, our self-will is nullified, and God’s will is ruling. We cease from our works and God works. In this rest, the power of God flows.

You see the true power of God, when you stop efforting and let Him work. To be governed (also used by) by God is to let go of all control, and let God determine each step; steps often counter to what you, religion, or the world would dictate. It’s letting go of all images of who and what you should be doing, and let God direct you daily. It’s following His still small voice, daily. Your life is His venue to work as He wills in you and others. In this our lives become a living sacrifice. Romans 12:1 In this state, we lack the awareness of what our left hand is doing from the right. Becuase its not us, but God.

Matthew 6:3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

This framework removes self-righteousness, because you aren’t doing anything but obeying His voice. It removes fears that you aren’t doing enough or did or said the wrong thing. In this truth, our hearts overflow with peace, praise and joy. So delight in making cookies and don’t make any more of it.


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Are You Spirit-Minded Or Flesh-Minded?

Are You Spirit-Minded Or Flesh-Minded?


Romans 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

 

What is spirit-minded versus carnal or flesh-minded?

The flesh is our self-will and all that it produces and manifests. It’s our self-created values, idols, and philosophies. It’s what we trust and hope in other than God’s truth. It’s the outcomes of corruption that come from following the flesh. Gal 5:19-21 It’s defining and creating our own goodness and righteousness. Isaiah 64:6 It’s based in fear. 2 Timothy 1:7 It’s everything derived from following self and the elements of the world created by self, versus God. Thus, the flesh-mind is one consumed and governed by self and the corresponding beliefs.

Is your hope in the wisdom of mankind? What do your actions show? Do you have a fear of man? Do you strive to please others? To please yourself? If so, your god is man. You serve mankind, and have a flesh-mind, which end is death. We’ve all been there at one point, but it’s not where we are to stay. Galatians 1:10

The spirit is what is of God. It’s knowing God’s truth and living the outcomes of it. Galatians 5:22 It’s a state of peace, rest, love and delight. It’s trusting in God in all things so you enter into a state of internal and external rest in all things. (The rest allows God’s spirit to move through you as He wills, like a leaf directed by the wind. Rest is a testimony of trust.) Hebrews 4:11 It’s becoming like a child who trusts his Father’s complete protection, provision, love and care and therefore lives in delight and in the desires of his heart. Psalm 37:4-5 Mark 10:15 It’s giving over all judgment to God to decide what is good and what isn’t, thus letting Him direct your life. John 5:30 It’s owning Christ’s righteousness and walking in it. When we are spirit-minded we have a mind like Christ, surrendered to God’s will, filled with God’s truth, and governed by the Spirit of God. Galatians 2:20, 2 Corin 5:17

Do you have a fear of God? Do you care about what He thinks above others? Are you seeking and moving into His will in all areas of your life? Is your trust growing in Him? Then you are on the path of being spirit-minded.

Galatians 5:24-25 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Galatians 5:17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish

To be spirit-minded, the flesh has to be destroyed. To remain flesh-minded is death because it’s counter and in opposition to God, who is life.

How do you know you are spirit-minded or flesh-minded?

What do you think about most of the day? What do you talk about? Who do you serve? What do you meditate on? Where do you put your hope? In what/who do you trust? What consumes your time? What do you put first on your list? Who has taught you the beliefs you live by? From who have you gained the “wisdom” you live by? Psalm 1:1-3, 2 Corin 1:12

These answers will tell you who/what owns your mind, the flesh or the spirit. Who/what owns your mind, owns you. We start out imprisoned by a flesh-mind that leads us down paths of destruction and death, but the TRUTH came to set us free.

Isaiah 61:1 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

Which are you cultivating?

Galatians 6:8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life

Because what you believe and focus on you create as a creative being made in the image of God, if you are focusing on and sowing a flesh-mindset, then you are creating corruption leading to death. If you are sowing a spirit-mind, then you are reaping eternal abundant life.

What do you sow? Who do you listen to? What do you read? What do you seek? How do you spend your time? Are they in accordance to the wisdom of mankind or the wisdom of God? Do you know the difference? The flesh-mindset is far more enveloping than most realize. In recent weeks, my eyes have been opening to its pervasiveness. It’s everywhere. 2 Corinthians 13:5

When we sow to the flesh, we search out answers and solutions from mankind’s intellect and wisdom, even in spiritual matters. 1 Corinthians 3:19 If you trust others to teach you about God, you are sowing to the flesh, because you are putting your trust in mankind. Do you see? In everything we are to seek the truth and wisdom of God, because that of the world is a twisted, corrupted, opposing and degenerate version of true wisdom.

When we sow to the spirit, we seek truth from God, we are taught by Him and not by man. 1 Corinthians 2:13-14, John 6:45 We seek to know the truth in all things, we have a love for THE Truth. 2 Thess 2:10. (How to Seek the Kingdom of God)

Gaining a spirit-mind and leaving the flesh mind behind is a journey. When you are on the right path you know it because your life is a testimony to you.